Community members are still trying to wrap their minds around what comes next after a beloved business, many of them held memories of for decades, is now gone. 

Alpha Lanes was lost after the devastating fire on Wednesday.

The impact of the fire is felt by generations of people who grew up in the area, and the people who live here now say the owner — Joe Scaccia — is a great person who cares about this community, and the bowling alley will be missed by many.

A young boy named Jonathan once held his birthday party at the bowling alley. He clutched all he had left of it, a bowling pin signed by all of his guests. A pin many who have celebrated birthdays at Alpha Lanes will hold dear.

“It was my seventh birthday party,” Jonathan said.

But he was not the only one with memories at the scene. Others said they had been going to Alpha Lanes their whole lives.

“Everybody bowls there, they’ve always bowled there,” said Tina, who lives nearby. “Joe’s been like a family member. We’ve always been together. My husband did work in there for him, my son does work for him in there when he needed it. It just was an awesome place for families and it’s very sad that we have to lose this landmark.”

“Family” is how many neighbors described the Alpha Lanes. Kathleen DeRosa has lived behind the business for 30 years.

“I’ve known him all these years and he’s worked so hard,” DeRosa said. “I think it was yesterday I waved at him up on the roof.”

Moreover, they say Scaccia isn’t just someone who cares about his business, but cares about the community and his employees.

“He’s very good with the kids after school; giving them breaks, letting them bowl,” Tina said. “He donates to the schools, he’s awesome. It was always a great place to go, a safe place, Joe made it safe for everybody."

Linda Rings was overcome with emotion at the scene. 

“I’m 62, I used to bowl here as a kid,” Rings said.

She came every Saturday growing up is worried the kids in Lansingburgh have lost that safe haven Scaccia created.

“It’s the only thing the kids had to do in Lansingburgh,” Rings said. “We don’t have a pool, there’s nothing here for the children to do. They used to have kids night once in a while, the kids would all go they play with their mom and dad. Now there’s nothing."

The feeling at the scene were that the community would come together and lean on one another to get through the loss.